The Best Recipe To Make Chili Con Carne

5.0 from 2 votes

The colder months are coming and with it the delicious and warm recipes like this Chili con Carne. I present to you the best recipe to make Chili con Carne: it's prepared in no time, this makes it an ideal meal for a day when you don't have much time to cook, but still want to serve a hot and nutritious dish. This Chili con Carne recipe is loaded with ground beef, beans, and the perfect combination of seasonings.

The easiest Chili con Carne recipe

We are officially in the season for hot and tasty soups and I couldn't be more excited to start sharing recipes for this time of the year.

I love making Chili con Carne because it's a thick soup full of nutrients like tomatoes, minced beef, beans, and a delicious touch of spices. The good thing is that not only can you serve it as a soup, but there are countless dishes that you can prepare with this Chili con Carne recipe. From Chili Dogs, Chili con Carne hot dog buns, Chili con Carne nachos or simply served with white rice.

You can make it as a quick and easy meal, although you can also leave it longer on low heat, like this you will be rewarded with an even more delicious flavor.

Ingredients needed to make this Chili con Carne recipe

Making this Chili con Carne recipe is easier than you think and it only requires a few simple ingredients that you probably already have at home.

Below I share what I used to make this recipe:

• Onion: you need a chopped white onion. If you don't have white onion at home, you can also use a red onion
• Red bell pepper: one red bell pepper cut into cubes. Cut the pepper into strips and then cut it into cubes of your favorite size, I like to see the pieces of pepper. But if, for example, you have children who find it difficult to eat vegetables, you can choose to cut them smaller so that they barely notice that they are eating vegetables
• Green bell pepper: you need a green bell pepper cut into cubes as explained above
• Tomatoes: you need 5 ripe tomatoes, skinned and cut into cubes. Boil them for 1 minute, this way you can easily remove the skin
• Garlic: you need two cloves of garlic minced or pressed with a garlic press
• Minced beef: use 400 grams of good quality minced beef, it will give a delicious taste to this chili
• Pinto beans: you need a jar of pinto beans (about 400 grams of pinto beans). You can use dried pinto beans, but you would have to soak them the night before and let them cook for longer.
• Concentrated tomato paste: use a tablespoon of concentrated tomato paste to enhance the flavor and add some thickness
• Black pepper: you need 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper to season
• Sweet paprika: 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• Hot paprika: half a teaspoon of hot paprika, if you like spicy you can add more. If, on the other hand, you don't like spicy food, or you have small children, you can add less or simply not add it. If you don't have hot paprika at home, you can use cayenne pepper
• Sugar: to balance the flavor, add a teaspoon of sugar. You can substitute the sugar for honey, agave or brown sugar.
• Water: you need 750 ml of hot water
• Salt: add salt to your liking
• Oil: use a splash of oil, such as olive or sunflower oil

Kitchen utensils you need to make this recipe

You need the following kitchen utensils, you probably already have everything you need:

• Pot: you need a pot with a lid to make this chili con carne recipe
• Small pan: you need a small pot to boil water so that you can boil the tomatoes for a minute to peel them easily
• Cutting board: you need a cutting board to cut the vegetables
• Knife: use your favorite knife to chop the vegetables
• Wooden spoon: you need a wooden spoon (or silicone spoon) to stir
• Garlic press: if you have a garlic press, use it to press the garlic cloves

How to make the best Chili con Carne recipe

Making the best Chili con Carne recipe is the easiest, below I explain step by step how you have to do it:

Add a splash of oil of your choice to the pot, add the chopped onion, red pepper and green pepper, put the lid on and leave it for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a small pot and boil the tomatoes for 1 minute. Take them out and let them cool down.

Once the 5 minutes have passed and the vegetables have softened a little, add the minced meat and brown it. When the meat is done, add the pressed garlic and spices. Leave it on medium heat for about two minutes.

Next add the skinned and diced tomatoes, the tomato paste and the beans. Leave it for about 5 minutes over medium heat with the lid on. Add 750 ml of hot water and salt to taste. Put the lid on and leave it for approximately 30 minutes on medium-low heat.

Serve it as a soup, with white rice or add all of your favorite toppings. I have left you some topping ideas for Chili con Carne below.

Topping ideas for Chili con Carne

This is totally optional, although highly recommended. Add your favorite toppings to your Chili con Carne bowl, I share my favorites with you:

• Sour cream (definitely my favorite and ranked number one)
• Jalapeños
• Lime
• Coriander
• Grated cheese
• Advocado
• Nachos

If you woukd like to share your favorite topping, you can do so in the comments below. 🙂

Frequently asked questions

Below I answer some frequently asked questions, if you do not find the answer, you can leave a comment below. I will be happy to resolve any doubt.

Can I use another type of beans?

Yes, you can use other types of beans, although the beans most commonly used are pinto beans. You can also mix beans. For example, half pinto beans and half white beans. You could also add half of black beans.

Can I use another type of minced meat?

Of course, you could use ground chicken or turkey. Although personally I think that minced beef gives much more flavor. You could even use diced beef for a different texture.

Can I substitute fresh tomatoes for canned tomatoes?

Yes, you can replace the fresh tomatoes with canned chopped tomatoes. You'll save a little time. Of course, keep in mind that the amount of liquid may vary, since canned chopped tomatoes usually contain a lot of liquid.

How can I store leftovers?

If you have leftover Chili con Carne, you can store it for up to 3 days in a tupperware or tightly closed container. In case you didn't know, Chili con Carne keeps very well in the freezer. Consume it in about 2-3 months if you freeze it.

Save this Chili con Carne recipe on Pinterest!

Save this recipe on Pinterest so that you won't lose it. Like this, when you go are going to make it, you don't go crazy looking for this recipe on the website. You just have to click on the Pinterest button below where it says “Spread the love”, and this recipe will automatically be saved on a board on your Pinterest account.

If you like this recipe, you will love the following recipes

If you like this recipe, you may also like the following recipes:

• You will love this recipe for stuffed zucchini and potatoes. It's an Algerian recipe, also called Algerian Dolma, I'm sure you are going to love it!
• These Viral Big Mac Tacos, some tortillas with minced meat and a delicious Big Mac-type sauce. Like the famous Big Mac hamburger but in a tortilla.

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